Category Archives: Italy

Coronavirus, racism and solidarity, before and after Italy’s lockdown – video

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Meet Sonia Zhou who runs a popular Chinese restaurant in Rome's Chinatown. She has been forced to shut up shop, in part, due to people avoiding the area after the coronavirus outbreak. Italy has seen increased incidences of anti-Chinese racism but also much-needed acts of solidarity as it goes into national lockdown.

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Coronavirus: more than 100 million Europeans on lockdown – video report

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More than 100 million Europeans are living under lockdown after Spain joined Italy in imposing a national quarantine to combat coronavirus, with a wave of further restrictions on travel coming into effect worldwide.

The World Health Organization announced that Europe was the new centre of the Covid-19 outbreak, with hundreds of thousands of cases. The UK is yet to impose the level of restrictions seen in the rest of Europe but the health secretary, Matt Hancock, has said new measures will be announced in the coming weeks

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Coronavirus latest updates: Trump gives briefing as Ohio and Illinois go into lockdown

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Number of UK deaths rises to 35 while other countries introduce stricter new measures

Here comes Donald Trump.

Speaking of which:

California governor Gavin Newsom announces that the state's bars, nightclubs, breweries and wineries be closed.

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Coronavirus latest updates: all arrivals in Australia must self-isolate for 14 days, says PM

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Trump tests negative while Spanish PM’s wife tests positive; France and Israel announce partial closure of country; scientists condemn UK ‘herd immunity’ strategy. Follow live news

The US city of Hoboken, across the Hudson River from New York City, has announced a night curfew starting 16 March and ordered bars and restaurants to conduct only delivery services amid the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.

An Uzbek citizen has tested positive for coronavirus after returning from France, Uzbekistan’s Healthcare Ministry said on Sunday, marking the first infection from the virus in the Central Asian country of 34 million.

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Italians sing patriotic songs from their balconies during coronavirus lockdown

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Neighbours from Naples to Tuscany make harmonies across empty streets to lift spirits and pass the time during quarantine

Italians have been singing from their balconies across the country, in an effort to boost morale during its nationwide lockdown that began this week, due to Covid-19.

Videos of Italian neighbours singing together have been appearing on social media after Italy’s prime minister Giuseppe Conte announced the restrictions that shut down virtually all daily life, and leftonly grocery stores, banks, and pharmacies open.

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Coronavirus live news: Trump says UK may be included in travel ban as WHO calls Europe ‘centre of pandemic’

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Queen cancels engagements; Canadian prime minister self-isolates; UK cases rise by 208

Plans to close off Catalonia have been announced by the northeastern Spanish region’s president, Quim Torra, who called on the central government to help by authorising the closure of ports, airports and railways.

The evolution of the contagion calls for most drastic action. We need to restrict entry and exit to protect ourselves.

In Europe, Hungary is closing all schools and will continue education as best as it can via digital channels, its prime minister Viktor Orbán has said.

In a Facebook video, he said he expected the Hungarian economy to stall soon and it will have to be restarted; an effort the government will participate in.

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Shops and pubs close in Italy as prime minister praises citizens’ sacrifices – video

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The Italian prime minister, Giuseppe Conte, ordered on Wednesday night the closure of all non-essential commercial activities to counteract the spread of the coronavirus, which has so far claimed 827 lives, after a 31% rise in 24 hours.

The World Health Organization has formally declared a pandemic. After banning all but essential travel on Monday, Italy is allowing stores selling ‘basic necessities’, such as pharmacies and supermarkets, to remain open. Conte added that the impact of the new measures would only become clear in a few weeks

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Revealed: the great European refugee scandal

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Evidence obtained by the Guardian exposes a coordinated and unlawful EU assault on the rights of desperate people trying to cross the Mediterranean

As night fell on 26 March 2019, two small boats made their way north across the Mediterranean. The rubber crafts were flimsy; it would be nearly impossible for those onboard to make it to Europe without help. From the north, a twin-propeller aeroplane from the European Union naval force approached. From the south, the coastguard from the country they had just fled, Libya, was coming.

The aircraft arrived first but there would be no rescue from Europe. Instead the flight, callsign Seagull 75, radioed the Libyans telling them where to find the boats. But Libya’s would-be interceptors would need more than just the coordinates. “OK sir, my radar is not good, is not good, if you stay [over the boat] I will follow you,” said the coastguard, according to recordings of VHF marine radio picked up by a nearby ship.

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Coronavirus outbreak described by WHO as ‘pandemic’ amid ‘alarming levels of inaction’ – video

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The World Health Organization has described the outbreak of the new coronavirus as a pandemic.

WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: ‘We are deeply concerned both by the alarming levels of spread and severity and by the alarming levels of inaction. We have therefore made the assessment that COVID-19 can be characterised as a pandemic.’

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How coronavirus closed down Italy – podcast

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With Italy in lockdown, Peter Beaumont charts the spread of Covid-19 in the country while Lorenzo Tondo describes its impact. And: Christina Figueres on tackling the climate crisis

On Monday night Italy’s prime minister, Giuseppe Conte, announced that the entire country would be covered by restrictions that “can be summarised as follows: I stay at home”. All travel was banned unless justified on professional or health grounds.

The Guardian’s Peter Beaumont talks to Anushka Asthana about the origins of the virus in Italy and how it spread so quickly, while colleague Lorenzo Tondo, who is based in Palermo, describes the impact the virus is having on Italy’s health service and economy.

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Coronavirus live updates: WHO declares pandemic as Italy extends lockdown measures

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World Health Organization chief says number of cases reported and number of countries affected ‘doesn’t tell the full story’

In addition to the unnamed cabinet minister, the junior health minister Ed Argar is also self-isolating after having dinner with Nadine Dorries on Thursday night, the Guardian understands.

A cabinet minister is self-isolating while they await test results, a government source has confirmed, thought they would not confirm the identity of the minister.

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St Peter’s Square before and after Italy’s coronavirus lockdown – video

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St Peter's Square and St Peter's Basilica in Vatican City have been closed to tourists after Italy's prime minister, Giuseppe Conte, placed a lockdown across the entire country because of coronavirus. More than 60 million people have been affected by the lockdown since the government extended restrictions on movement from the hard-hit north to the rest of Italy.

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From confidence to quarantine: how coronavirus swept Italy

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Undetected transmissions in early stage of outbreak at heart of current difficulties

Italy appeared well ahead of the curve when the coronavirus outbreak began to spread outside China.

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Coronavirus live updates: Italy-wide lockdown comes into force

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UK and US had worst days trading since 2008 GFC; Global cases near 110,000; Grand Princess passengers disembark. Follow the latest news.

As the whole of Italy goes into lockdown, there are some reassuring signs that measures are starting to work. Across the 11 towns that went into quarantine over two weeks ago, the number of cases is beginning to fall.

Virgin Atlantic has called on the European Commission and UK flight slots co-ordinator to relax rules amid the coronavirus outbreak, PA reports.

Chief executive Shai Weiss said: “Last month Virgin Atlantic and industry partners committed to achieving net zero carbon by 2050.

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